What is going on? Earlier this year, Congress passed a handful of bills that funded the Departments of Defense, Health and Human
Services, Education, Veterans Affairs, Energy, and a few other parts of the government through September 2019. However, a large part of the federal government, including the Department of
Homeland Security, where funding for the wall would live, has not yet been funded. Before heading home for the holidays, Congress needs to fund this part of the government.

This fight is all about “Trump’s wall.” House and Senate Democrats rightfully do not want to give Trump any more money for the wall.
Last year’s funding bill had $1.3 billion for border “fencing,” and DHS hasn’t spent even funds.[1] Nevertheless, Trump wants more, saying that he won’t sign any bill on his desk
unless it has an extra $5 billion for the wall.

Democrats have offered a “clean,” year-long continuing resolution (“CR”). The Democratic position is that they will only accept a
“clean,” year-long CR, which means no new money for wall construction of any kind, and no new money for border agents or detention beds. This is the right stance for them to
take—and it is consistent with the position of most national immigration groups.

Earlier this year, Democrats in the Senate had agreed to $1.6 billion in new money for wall construction. This was never a good deal, but since that
time, circumstances have changed. The Blue Wave swept the country, and it represented a strong rebuke of Trump’s hateful immigration policies. Democrats must hold strong to their
demand for a clean, year-long CR, which would strip out this proposed new money.

Does a CR mean no money for the wall or immigration enforcement? Unfortunately, no. A continuing resolution extends existing funding
levels, which means that all the awful things that are currently funded get funded again for another year. DHS will get the same amount of money it got last year; since last year’s funding
bill contained $1.3 billion for wall construction, DHS would get another $1.3 billion this year for wall construction. What we’re fighting for now is to stop Republicans from adding even
more money for the wall or immigration enforcement.

Then why support a clean, year-long CR? Until Democrats get control of the House, the alternative is worse. Republicans still control
both chambers of Congress until January, and Trump is demanding $5 billion in new funding for his wall. Maintaining the current funding levels would keep the situation from getting any
worse and would represent a major loss for Trump, whether he admits it or not.

[1] While Members of Congress distinguish between “fencing” and “wall construction,” the distinction is meaningless to border communities who will have to live with
the infrastructure.